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RPP-31314Executive SummaryIn May 2006, CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. chartered an Expert Review Panel (ERP)to review the current status of the Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (DBVS). Itis the consensus of the ERP that bulk vitrification is a technology that requires furtherdevelopment and evaluation to determine its potential for meeting the Hanford wastestabilization mission, No fatal flaws (issues that would jeopardize the overall DBVSmission that cannot be mitigated) were found, given the current state of the project.However, a number of technical issues were found that could significantly affect theproject's ability to meet its overall mission as stated in the project Justification of MissionNeed document, if not satisfactorily resolved.The ERP recognizes that the project has changed from an accelerated scheduledemonstration project to a formally chartered project that must be in full compliance withDOE 413.3 requirements. The perspective of the ERP presented herein, is measuredagainst the formally chartered project as stated in the approved Justification of MissionNeed document.A Justification of Mission Need document was approved in July 2006 which defined theobjectives for the DBVS Project. In this document, DOE concluded that bulkvitrification is a viable technology that requires additional development to determine itspotential applicability to treatment of a portion of the Hanford low activity waste. TheDBVS mission need statement now includes the following primary objectives:" Process approximately 190,000 gallons of Tank S-109 waste into fifty 100 metricton boxes of vitrified product.* Store and dispose of these boxes at Hanford's Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF)* Evaluate the waste form characteristics.* Gather pilot plant operability data, and* Develop the overall life cycle system performance of bulk vitrification andproduce a comparison of the bulk vitrification process to building a second LAWImmobilization facility or other supplemental treatment alternatives as providedin M-62-08.While the DBVS is clearly poised to meet the first three objectives, the project mustexpeditiously develop plans to achieve the last two and develop clear success criteria todetermine whether they have been met.A summary of the key issues that need technical and management actions follows.* Additional cold testing is needed to underpin process design and operations (e.g.,flow of dried waste feed, prevention of secondary phases, and balancing of theoff-gas systems) before radioactive feed is introduced.